Japan Plans To Buy The Disputed Islands And Infuriate China

The Japanese government has made a bid of ¥2 billion ($25
million) for the purchase of a number of islands at the center of
a bitter territorial feud with China, according to
Kyodo reports.

The deal could be completed as soon as next month, sources told
the Japanese news agency.

The move comes after the outspoken governor of Tokyo, Shintaro
Ishihara, made
a similar offer to buy the Senkaku Islands from their private
owner earlier this year. The islands, known as Diaoyu in China,
have been the center of territorial disputes between China and
Japan for decades, and it's thought the sale could strengthen the
Japanese government's hold on them.